Friday, October 5, 2012

“THE BRADY BUNCH IN THE NEW YORK MYSTERY” by Jack Matcha Chapter 5

1) PLOT SYNOPSIS: The rest of the Brady’s flight includes dinner and a movie (unnamed) but no further exciting incidents. They lose track of the two mystery men at the Kennedy airport. Mike’s college friend Kent and his daughter, Darlene, meet the Brady’s at the airport and give them a ride to their house in Long Island. Mrs. Crump, the housekeeper feeds the Bradys but raises a stink when Alice tries to enter her kitchen. Marcia and Greg spot the two mystery men outside the house in Long Island…….
2) CHARATER DEVELOPMENT: Greg finds Darlene to be the loveliest girl he has ever seen. Cindy likes peanut butter on her tuna sandwiches. Darlene has a “smooth liquid voice”…….
3) RELEVANT CULTURAL ISSUES: Safety Belt laws – apparently eleven people could ride in one station wagon, and I very much doubt each person had a belt. Women’s Lib: Greg is surprised when Darlene “oh-ed” and “ah-ed” as he discussed “his surfing activities” and “the engine of an old car” he was working on because she was more interested than “girls…are about such a masculine subject.”…….
4) HIP SLANG: “Good Grief” (Bobby) “Her bark is worse than her bite” (Kent. To which Cindy responds, “You’ve got a housekeeper who bites?”)……..
5) CONTEMPORARY CULTURAL REFERENCES: Architectural similarities – Marcia is surprised to find how similar New York suburbs are to Southern California, “It’s not what I expected New York to be…I mean with houses and lawns and everything.”……..
6) FAVORITE SENTENCE: “Greg took Darlene’s hand and held it for a moment, savoring its smooth softness while he looked into her dark brown eyes.”